


Compatibility Scores

by lost_stickie_note



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Apologies all around, Fluff, M/M, Okay so I didn't really know what a soulmate AU was, Omg I feel so stupid, One Shot, Romance, Secondary Zhangjun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-31 12:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15119180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_stickie_note/pseuds/lost_stickie_note
Summary: Ziyi wants to know how he can recognize "the one".Maybe his friends have the right idea, nudging him in his direction.





	Compatibility Scores

**Author's Note:**

> Filled Request! Long note ahead, sorry.
> 
> Okay, so first off, I need to apologize to whoever requested this. I _thought_ I understood the concept of a soulmate AU, but I think I may have been completely off. And I only discovered that after reading another fic marked as a soulmate AU _after_ I had already finished writing this. (╥﹏╥) So I'm super sorry.
> 
> Regardless, I really enjoyed writing this one since it was an opportunity to try a new take on the ship. I hope it's still an enjoyable read even though I messed up, lol. :)
> 
> And apologies on being slow with these request updates. Shameless plug for all my other works.
> 
> I have three more requests that I'm planning on (Zhangjun, Xingjie/everyone, Chenggui). Trying to clean up things, so route any requests for fics to my CuriousCat: [@loststickienote](https://curiouscat.me/loststickienote)
> 
> Comments, kudos, and feedback are always appreciated!
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta-reader, you know who you are. :)

Ziyi climbed into his bed after a long day.

 

The date earlier tonight had not gone particularly well, or at least, that was his initial feeling. He sunk into his bed, the memory foam curving to fit his body. Ziyi looked down at the Band on his wrist. _I guess now is a good time to review as any._ Pressing a few buttons, he managed to project the screen on his watch to the space about a foot above his face. He opened his compatibility meter, already dreading rewatching the footage.

 

_Review?_

The bright red word flashed, needing him to respond.

 

He pressed ‘Accept’.

 

Ziyi hated watching himself on screen. He had dinner with another blind date today, set up by Yanjun. He didn’t know why he kept telling the other boy it was okay to set him up. They clearly didn’t have the same taste. He sighed. On the playback, his date was cracking another cold joke. _I already get enough of that around Yanjun._ The part when he started talking about his lifestyle and health topics he was interested in started playing. His date looked distinctly bored. _Oh well, the feeling is mutual._ He remembered the amount of polite nodding he had to do once the man brought up liking to hunt. Not exactly a pastime he enjoyed.

 

The video of their date finished playing, and Ziyi sighed in relief. _Okay, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be._

He pressed the button to move on.

 

Compatibility score: 62

 

Okay, so not his _worst_ date ever, but it was still pretty damn bad. To date, the worst was still the guy that had chewed obnoxiously with his mouth open the entire time and had insisted on talking about his fascination with crime shows, specifically the dead bodies on crime shows. That had returned a compatibility score in the 40’s. But a score of 62 was nothing to write home about, and he probably wouldn’t try and ask for a second date.

 

Ziyi was getting pretty sick of going on dates that didn’t lead anywhere. In some ways, the new tech that had popped up 5 or so years ago made dating much easier. Now, he could go on a date, and his Band would analyze every part of the interaction, returning a compatibility score later on for review. The downside was that it sucked some of the fun out of it. Ziyi no longer had the after-date rush he used to get, the thrill of not knowing whether the other person could be the _right one_. Now, he didn’t even bother thinking about it. If the compatibility score was over 80, he tried for a second date.

 

“Lights, off, please.”

 

His overhead lights turned off.

 

He stared up at his ceiling in the dark, still lost in thought.

 

* * *

 

 

Ziyi was in the breakroom, making his morning coffee when Zhangjing bounded up to him. The shorter man was practically bouncing up and down with excitement, his clothes already looking messy early in the day. “So, how did the date go?”

 

He opened his mouth to ask, but Zhangjing beat him to it. “Yanjun told me. So? Did it go well?”

 

Ziyi mentally sighed. _Of course Yanjun told him that I was going on a date. Those two have been glued at the hip._ Speaking of, he wondered where Yanjun was. His friend was usually not far behind if Zhangjing showed up. As if on cue, the other man sauntered in. “Zhangjing, you really have to stop going so fast.”

 

Yanjun looked at him with interest. “So how’d the date go?”

 

_Too early for this many questions._

“Badly.” He replied curtly and rushed out of the room with his coffee.

 

He loved the two of his friends dearly, but ever since they had gotten together and started dating each other, it was just another reminder that he still didn’t have anyone yet. Not to mention, they decidedly did not know how to keep their lovey-dovey actions to a manageable level half the time around him. And lately, Ziyi was really starting to feel like a third-wheel when they all hung out.

 

His Band flashed, and he felt his stomach drop. _God, I hope it’s not that guy from yesterday._ Ziyi opened his messages, and Zhangjing’s name popped up. _Sorry your date didn’t go well and that we were overly excited to hear the details. Do you want to talk about it?_

Ziyi typed in a quick response. _Maybe later._

 

He trudged back to his desk and started working on the piles of invoices he had laying on his desk. The job was quite boring, but at least the work was easy, requiring very little extra effort. Ziyi did the same thing every day for 8 hours. A monotonous existence. Over the past month, he had been on maybe 4-5 blind dates. God knows where Yanjun was finding these people because none of them had went particularly well. He had only seen potential with one guy, but he had gotten completely ignored when he tried to reach out for a second date. Maybe relying on Yanjun to manage his dating prospects was the wrong approach.

 

Ziyi tapped out a quick message to his two friends on his Band. _Why don’t we all go out for drinks after work today?_

His message was met with enthusiasm, and Ziyi worked quickly in the afternoon, anticipating the night’s events.

 

* * *

 

 

Okay, maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

 

The three of them had finished working and were now trying to decide where to go for drinks. Yanjun was trying to argue for their usual haunt, a place they had frequented often in the past few years or so. But Zhangjing wanted to check out a new bar that he heard was the newest trendy place. The two of them were too busy trying to make their point at each other that neither realized that Ziyi had already fallen silent with disinterest. Their arguing was starting to bring on a headache. _Okay, but Yanjun has been setting me up with guys that aren’t even really my type._ Ziyi made a decision. “We’re going to the bar Zhangjing suggested. Done.”

 

When they arrived, Ziyi could already tell the place was popular. The inside looked packed, squeezed to the brim with people. _Can we even fit in there?_ The three of them squeezed their way in, moving towards the bar in order to order a few drinks. After a few mishaps with people bumping into him and one angry drunk that shoved him, he finally got to the counter. “Could we get three drinks?”

 

He was fumbling to get his wallet out of his pocket, but his head snapped up in surprise as he heard the smooth, silky voice. “Yeah, sure. You want anything specific?”

 

And Ziyi needed to catch his breath when he saw him.

 

He swore the bartender was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen.

 

The other man motioned at him with his hand. “Sorry, what did you say?”

 

“I asked if you wanted me to start a tab for you.” The bartender’s laughter felt clear and light. “I just need a credit card from you.”

 

He handed over his card numbly. The bartender took a glance. “So your name is Wang Ziyi? Want to tell me what a good-looking guy like you is doing here tonight?”

 

Ziyi felt his mind go completely blank. _Goddamnit, words, form words._ “Looking to pick up guys.”

 

The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted them. But the gorgeous bartender just laughed lightly. “Okay, that’s a lot more straightforward of an answer than I expected.” He flashed Ziyi a dazzling smile. “Good luck with that.”

 

And the man turned around to help another customer. And the thought that he might want to ask for the guy’s name crossed his mind a second too late. Ziyi grabbed the three drinks and started weaving his way between tables towards his two friends.

 

“Jeez, what took you so long?” Yanjun interjected as soon as he reached the small table, barely big enough for the three of them to stand around.

 

Zhangjing was beaming at him though. “Isn’t it obvious? Ziyi’s into the bartender.”

 

Yanjun looked at him in disbelief. “No way. Really? That’s your type?”

 

And Ziyi didn’t know how to explain it in the moment so he just kept quiet. _Yanjun will somehow find a way to babble on himself._ Zhangjing looked at him excitedly. “Did you get his name? Did you ask him on a date?”

 

He shook his head, slightly embarrassed. “No, I was too slow at the time. He had to help another customer.”

 

Zhangjing’s eyes widened. “What are you waiting for then? Go back and ask.”

 

“I can’t just go up to him and ask his name without a reason. It looks so suspicious.” He was indignant. “What if he thinks I’m weird?”

 

Yanjun quickly gulped his drink down, finishing it in a few seconds. “Lin Yanjun!” Zhangjing chided his boyfriend, who waved him off. “There, now you have an excuse to go talk to him again. Get me another drink.” The other boy grinned at him cheekily.

 

Ziyi didn’t know whether to be pleased or exasperated at his friend.

 

_I suppose this is a good opportunity though._

He made his way back to the bar, rubbing his suddenly sweaty palms on his pants. The bartender smiled as he approached. “Already need another drink? Wouldn’t have pegged you as a big drinker.”

 

Ziyi shook his head, amused. “Not me. My friend.” He pointed back at the table Yanjun and Zhangjing were at and was mortified to find Yanjun making kissy faces at them and Zhangjing giving him the thumbs-up sign. _Oh my god._ He wanted to sink into the floor. He had never felt more embarrassed.

 

“Those are your friends?” The other man smirked at him. “Looks like they’re expecting something to happen between us.”

 

Okay, so now would be a good time for the ground to open up and just swallow him.

 

The bartender was looking at him with an intense stare and one eyebrow cocked into a perfect arch, questioningly. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if something were to happen between us.” He lips curved into a small half smile. “That is, if you’re interested.”

 

And Ziyi blurted out the only thing he could think of. “I don’t even know your name.”

 

“Cai Xukun.”

 

* * *

 

 

They’re leaving now, walking to the parking lot.

 

His friend Yanjun clearly had too much to drink and was staggering, with one arm thrown around Zhangjing and leaning most of his weight against his boyfriend. He can’t even muster up the energy to be annoyed when the older boy started spewing nonsense at him. Zhangjing looked at him with sympathy and apology for the very drunk Yanjun.

 

It didn’t matter.

 

_Cai Xukun._

The man had written down his name and phone number on the back of one of the bar’s business cards, handing it to him at the end of the night. Ziyi had spent most of the night finding excuses to talk to Xukun more, and it was probably his fault that Yanjun was so drunk right now. The bartender had made time between customers to talk to him, albeit only a few minutes at a time since the bar was so packed. He had promised to text or call Xukun to set up a time and place for a date next week. The other man had next Sunday off, joking that Ziyi was lucky that next week was one of the few weeks he had an off-day.

 

He checked his Band, scanning for upcoming events in the area that they might be interested in going to. Ziyi frowned. There were a few concerts going on, but they were all groups he had never heard of. What was Nine Percent exactly? Was it too boring to take a bartender to a wine and cheese tasting? _Why is this so hard?_ And he realized it was because he was nervous. He wanted to make a good impression, wanted it to work out.

 

After a long time debating, he settled on the wine and cheese tasting. _At least this way, we’ll get a chance to talk more._ He sent off a quick message to Xukun, saving his number and creating a new event invite for the other man.

 

Ziyi was surprised when he felt his Band vibrate.

 

_One new message._

He hesitantly clicked on the flashing green ‘Accept’.

 

_It was great meeting you. I’m glad we’re going out next Sunday. See you then!_

Ziyi couldn’t remember the last time he felt this giddy over a boy.

 

He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of the bartender’s dark piercing eyes still in his head.

 

* * *

 

 

“What happened? What happened?” Zhangjing was like a hyperactive bunny, bouncing around him trying to get the scoop early in the morning. “So are you guys going on a date?”

 

Ziyi faintly smiled. “Yeah, we are. Sunday.” He had never hated the fact that it was only Monday more than today. _Just six more days until I see him again._ Yanjun sauntered in and draped his arm over Zhangjing’s shoulder. “So, you think he could be the one?”

 

He almost snorted his coffee out his nose. “Isn’t it a little too early to be thinking about that?”

 

Yanjun shrugged at him. “I mean, you haven’t found anyone you are truly compatible with yet, and you’ve been going on dates for the past _two years_.” Ziyi hated the way the other boy emphasized the length of time as if he didn’t think about how he was so tired of being along every night before falling asleep.

 

“I get it, I get it.”

 

Zhangjing frowned at his boyfriend. “Lay off Ziyi. You’re supposed to be supportive as a friend.”

 

Ziyi made his escape, leaving the two lovers in the breakroom to argue with themselves. He returned to his desk, dismayed at the pile of work left to do, which somehow seemed to have increased overnight. _Crap._ It was going to be a long afternoon. Ziyi sighed in annoyance and started to get to work. He was so absorbed in trying to finish the pile as quickly as possible that he almost missed the flashing on his Band.

 

_One new message._

He clicked ‘Accept’ without much thought.

 

Ziyi almost gasped out loud. He hadn’t expected Xukun to pop up. The message was a simple selfie, taken from the bar Xukun worked at with the man smiling brightly at the camera and forming a peace sign with his other hand. He almost dropped the papers he was holding in surprise when his Band vibrated again with additional text following the picture. _At work early, bored. How about you?_

He pressed down the urge to giggle out loud. _At work too, also boring._

And he couldn’t resist looking down at his Band every few moments for the rest of the afternoon, chatting with the other man.

 

* * *

 

 

Ziyi waited anxiously.

 

He was supposed to meet Xukun at the corner between the supermarket and karaoke place so that they could walk over together. He had been chatting with the other man on and off all week, the conversation coming easily. And he found that he enjoyed talking with Xukun. A lot. More so than any other date he had recently, and the thought of finally meeting with the other man in person made him nervous. He tugged at the collar of his shirt uncomfortably.

 

Ziyi saw Xukun approaching from a distance, flashing him a wave of greeting.

 

He forgot how breathtaking Xukun was.

 

Ziyi had only seen him in the dim and poorly lit bar last weekend, and he didn’t imagine that the man would be even more attractive in the daylight. Xukun’s hair was slightly messy, a product of the somewhat windy day. Xukun sounded a bit breathless when he reached Ziyi. “Hi, sorry I’m a bit late. I couldn’t find any parking, and then I tried booking it here.”

 

He shook his head. “No worries, it’s perfectly fine.”

 

They proceeded to walk towards the small bar hosting the wine and cheese tasting event. In person, the conversation was even easier. Ziyi thought that he’d feel nervous and too uncomfortable to talk easily, but it didn’t happen. He felt as if they had known each other forever and judging by the way the other man’s eyes lit up with amusement, the corners of his mouth upturned slightly, Ziyi assumed that Xukun was feeling the same way.

 

The bar was themed on the inside, promoting a message of environmental friendliness, and plants were scattered in pots on the floor. They grabbed one of the upright tables, waiting for the event to start. Ziyi felt a shock of surprise run through him when Xukun laid his hand on top of his own on the table. And he couldn’t help but notice how long and slender and _beautiful_ the other man’s fingers were. He felt the blush spreading over his cheeks, and he hoped Xukun didn’t notice.

 

The other man was staring at him with eyebrows raised. _No such luck._ And Xukun playfully swiped his thumb over Ziyi’s cheek, making his blush intensify. They both turned around to pay attention as the host of the event started speaking, explaining the history and process of production of the cheeses and wines they would be sampling today. The server came around afterwards, bringing them the spread and pointing out which were paired together.

 

They continued chatting, getting to know each other more. He discovered that Xukun had a side hobby of singing, saying that he used to enter singing competitions when he was younger. Ziyi told the other man about his dance crew days back in college. The more he spoke with Xukun, the more he liked the other man. A sprout of hope planted itself into the back of his mind.

 

“So I see you have one of those Bands? Do you use it often?” Ziyi looked at the other man in surprise, wondering about the odd question. “Of course I use it often. Everyone has one.”

 

Xukun grinned at him. “Nope, not me.” He flashed his empty wrists in Ziyi’s direction. “I actually don’t like them much. The number I gave you is still routed to my cell phone.”

 

 _A cell phone?_ Ziyi hadn’t heard of anyone having a cell phone in a long time. The Band came out around 5 years ago and had basically made cell phones obsolete. It was just so much more functional to have everything in one place, syncing all your personal information, finances, lifestyle statistics, and other important information. He was even one of the few people in his friend group that still carried a wallet around, preferring to have loose cash on hand just in case a store he visited hadn’t updated their tech to accept the Band payment yet.

 

“Yeah, maybe it’s because I bartend, but I much prefer just _au naturale_ interaction with people.” Xukun wrinkled his nose a bit. “I don’t think I’d want a piece of tech slapped on my wrist to tell me how I feel about people.”

 

Ziyi felt stupid now, and he must have had a dumbfounded look on his face because Xukun’s face is stricken with guilt. “Oh no, did I just offend you?” He bit at his bottom lip. “I totally didn’t mean to say that you’re dumb for using the Band for that if you do.”

 

Xukun’s eyes were widened with concern, looking truly contrite, and Ziyi decided that it didn’t matter. _Honestly, do I even like my Band?_ He gave the other man a small smile. “No, don’t worry. I wasn’t offended.”

 

And he saw Xukun relax a bit, the tightness in the other man’s shoulders leaving. “Okay, because that’s totally not what I meant.” He paused, and Ziyi felt his heart skip a beat as the other man tilted his head to look at him at an angle through his long lashes. “I really like you actually. I’m glad your friends were being so obvious.”

 

He winced at the embarrassing memory. “Please, let’s never mention that again.”

 

Xukun’s laughter burrowed straight into his heart.

 

* * *

 

 

Ziyi smiled with satisfaction, looking up at his ceiling in the dark.

 

The date had gone spectacularly well, and the both of them had been slightly tipsy by the end of the afternoon, drinking far too many glasses of wine. He had graciously escorted Xukun back to his place, and the other man had stared at him with bright eyes before planting a slightly sloppy kiss on his lips. He had melted into the kiss, enjoying the softness and fullness of Xukun’s lips on his. The place where Xukun had held the back of his neck still felt hot long after he left the man.

 

The light on his Band flashed.

 

_Review?_

Oh, right. His Band had probably recorded his afternoon date with Xukun. Ziyi had left the application on its default settings, never bothering to change it, and his Band automatically kept a record of all his new interactions. He clicked on the ‘Accept’ button and settled back into his bed to watch the footage. He felt lightheaded with happiness watching their date. Upon review, it had gone even better than he remembered. Ziyi chuckled watching a tipsy Xukun try to flag down their waitress, instead accidentally waving over another guest of the event. And the breath in his chest quickened when he watched them walking home together, the other man leaning into his side for balance.

 

_And the kiss._

He closed his eyes, replaying it over in his head, not needing the video to remind him. Ziyi remembered every little detail, down to the small mole on Xukun’s cheek as he leaned in for the kiss.

 

Ziyi pressed the button to move on to the next screen.

 

Compatibility score: 22

 

_What?_

He shot up in bed so fast that he got dizzy. _That’s not possible._ But the objective score was staring at him in the face, illuminated in the darkness of his room. And Ziyi’s stomach did a turn, starting to form knots. He thought back to their afternoon, but he couldn’t pick out any flaws at all. _Then why did it turn out like this?_ He shook his head to clear it, and he felt himself becoming slightly upset.

 

His Band really was the most useful way to tell whether he would want to go on that second date. And this was the first time that Ziyi had felt the score didn’t correlate with how he felt. _How I feel._ He saw the image of Xukun’s face swimming in his vision under his eyelids when he closed his eyes. The other man had looked at him with such expressiveness and caring, something he thought he wouldn’t see yet on a first date. And he was reminded the shock he had felt when Xukun’s fingers brushed his, reaching for the cheese on their spread at the same time. It had run all the way up his arm, making his eyes widen.

 

And Ziyi felt his breathing pick up.

 

_Xukun makes me breathless._

He heard the inner voice screaming at him to be practical, realistic, but for the first time in a long time, he realized that he didn’t care. _What did Xukun say?_ That he didn’t want a piece of tech to tell him how he felt about people.

 

_Xukun makes my heart flutter._

It was the lightest he had felt on a date since forever, as if he was being filled from the inside with a bright light that lifted him up, made him feel as if he was floating.

 

And Ziyi knows that his Band doesn’t matter anymore.

 

He peels it off, feeling the skin underneath start to itch slightly from having it on for a long time.

 

Too long.

And he’ll be damned if the Band keeps him from being happy with someone finally.

 

Ziyi smiles in the dark, the sleep coming easily today.

 

_Cai Xukun._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, and feedback are always appreciated!
> 
> Would be happy to talk about 9%/IP or about other random things!  
> Twitter: [@loststickienote](https://twitter.com/loststickienote)  
> CuriousCat: [Requests/Prompts/Random Chat](https://curiouscat.me/loststickienote)


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